The field of application of this fracturable key card or token is wide. The types of possible uses include operating coin or token machines such as turnstiles, poker machines, dispensing machines, and pay by time services such as electricity (in particular solar generated). These types of devices which have been operated by the use of coins, tokens, encoded cards or conventional keys usually suffer some disadvantage.
Where the operation is controlled by insertion of a coin or token, and that coin or token is then held within the machine there are problems with the security of the machine and in some cases the cost of collecting the coins and tokens. In machines such as vending machines or pre payment meters which are left in relatively insecure areas they are easily vandalized and the still usable coins or tokens removed. Further, there is significant cost in employing staff to regularly and frequently collect the coins or tokens. Staff employed for this task must be honest as there is the temptation to "pocket" some of the takings especially if the machines are prone to malfunction or the vended product is not well accounted. An especially significant problem with coin operated devices is that the supplier receives in hand the payment a significant period of time after supplying the goods.
Encoded card operated devices can suffer similar disadvantages to the coin or token devices where the encoded card is captured by the device in order to prevent further use. In the cases where the card may be used a multiple number of times it is often difficult to account for how often such device has been used. A further problem with encoded cards is that they are often relatively expensive to produce. A popular form of encoded cards includes a magnetic strip and sophisticated encoding and decoding equipment. The decoding equipment obviously must be present in each machine to be operated by the encoded card, such equipment is very expensive.
Conventional key operated devices have the disadvantage that unlimited use of the key is unavoidable and accounting of the use of the controlled device difficult.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fracturable key which will ameliorate disadvantages of the prior art.
Throughout this specification the term "key" is used in the broad sense and not necessarily limited to conventionally shaped keys.